Sports Psychology and the Jewish People

A number of years ago in the movie "Airport" a passenger asks for a little light reading at which point the stewardess hands him a one page leaflet of "Jewish-American Sports heroes". Everyone laughed. And, yet, that is reality.

I'm an anomaly. I'm Jewish. I like to think of myself as reasonably successful and well educated. I'm Jewish. But I also ran track and played football in high school. I'm Jewish? And I was All-Pacific Coast as a defensive tackle in college. I'm Jewish?? And I was a P.E. teacher and the head football and swimming coach at a local high school. Now you're probably thinking, "No wonder he went into psychology. He needed help with his Jewish identity. But the effects must still be there because in addition to regular clinical work, he does sports psychology."

Let's go back a few years and stereotype. There you are at the end of junior high or the beginning of high school. You're a chubby little kid who does reasonably or terrifically well in school and has gotten used to being pushed around a little bit. No big deal. Your emphasis was on education. You made everyone very proud at your Bar Mitzvah. But you were intimidated by all the jocks at school, so you either avoided them, or hung on as a wannabe, or dabbled in sports a bit. Maybe you were the tall, gangly kid who looked like, in today's terms, a "geek." Your parents rewarded you for academic or creative or business endeavors. Tom Kowalski's parents, Juan Gonzalez's parents, William Jackson's parents rewarded those boys, in one way or another, for being tough and macho and physical, for going out for sports and succeeding. But Irving Goldsteins's parents, when questioned by the coach as to why they would not allow Irving to go out for football, even though he was 6'1", 200 lbs. responded, " Becuz dets not sumting a nice Joosh boy does. Let de uders beat each uder up. Mine sohn vill be a dawkter and has no time for dat! Gut bye!!" So you grew up being at least a little intimidated by physical prowess because our culture and religion preaches that education is next to Godliness, and it leaves little time for any physical endeavors- "Nicht mit der handt!". And even if you were considered tough among the Jewish kids, you were still no match for the "real" tough guys. So you exerted your force through student council, or the debate club, and gravitated to others like yourself.

This grated on you for a very long time. And whether you consciously knew it or not, you had to make up for it in some way. In psychological terms you developed a reaction formation. You compensated for this feeling of inadequacy. A liability became an asset. So you became a) a hard-nosed negotiator, feared and revered in business circles or b) an entrepreneur so that you could use your bravado or c) a doctor or lawyer or some other self-employed professional so that you were automatically at the top and didn't have to fight for respect or d) a top notch salesman so that you could use your finely honed verbal skills or e) some other position that insulated you from what you were ultimately still afraid of. Some of you avoided sports completely, some dabbled; all the while blaming other if you did not make it. Some turned to material things to prove themselves, like the big thick gold chains with the enlarged chai to prove yourself and all other Jewish males. And many of you made it vicariously through your children, some, unfortunately, becoming the ultimate "little league parent."

Yet even with a de-emphasis on the physical aspects of Jewish life in this country, we love to hear about "Little Israel" kicking someone's hindquarters all over the Middle East. "There!! That'll teach you to mess with a Jew!!

As a people we've become afraid of physical pursuits. Why? Are the mind and body separate? Can't the two be compatible, and isn't that the healthiest situation? Allow me to discuss not merely the informative aspects of sports psychology, but the benefits to our children. Judaism teaches that we are to pass down our teachings to our children. Why not pass down something new that we have learned?

Sports psychology actually deals with two issues. One is that of a person with problems that have detracted from his or her performance, whether that be poor concentration or the inability to cope with stress. The other is that of the individual who utilizes yet another tool toward an increased performance. This individual does not have a problem. He or she only seeks to improve the psychological aspects since sport has been labeled "90 % mental and 10% physical."

Today we recognize that social life is always in the process of change and development. Relationships are ever-changing as people move in and out of the lives of others. Prior psychologies dealt more with the isolated person, and the recent focus has illuminated the idea that the self rests within the larger circle of society. What we see and do in the world, as well as within ourselves, is shaped by the interactions with the many people in our lives.

Entering into this emerging area comes the field of sports psychology. Athletics is an intensified microcosm of social psychology, yet with many of its own rules, regulations, and, of course, problems. While social psychology alone deals with the individual and her or his interactions with the group, the social psychology of athletics deals with a triad - the individual, the team, and the crowd. Whether sport should hold the position in our society that it does is probably debatable. That it, in fact, does hold a revered position is not a contestable point. No other aspect of society, other than business, has an entire section of every major newspaper dedicated to it. No other events stir the emotions like the traditional rivalries that occur on all levels of sport. Even for the crowds, the socialization process occurring during athletic events is quantitatively more, and is far more intense, than the average person is exposed to.

In dealing with athletics one needs to examine all the various aspects of the social psychology. The advocates of sport have for years suggested that the positive aspects of camaraderie, common goals, and team identity are carried over into everyday life. In their endeavors to promote their ideas, they, of course, have failed to mention that the negative aspects, such as substance abuse, a win-at-all-costs ethic, and the dehumanizing effects, are also often carried over. Perhaps the infatuation with sport stems from the early Greeks and before. But one thing is certain. The whole world, even the world of academia, appreciates a superior athletic performance. The lives of the top athletes are closely monitored, and they often become national heroes, exemplified by Babe Ruth, Joe Di Maggio, Pele, Nadia Comanici, Tiger Woods, and Michael Phelps, to name only a few. Muhammed Ali became somewhat of an unofficial ambassador for the United States as a result of his career.

The athlete actually goes through each process of social psychology twice, once on an individual basis and once on a team identity basis. Self-inquiry must take place in both individual and team psyches for the end result of a cohesive performance to be successful.

The normal pathologies that are present in society are also present on a team and very often magnified because of pressure. Such factors as prejudice in race, ethnicity, religion, sex roles, and age are all problems. Each piece needs to be worked on, polished, and then integrated into the whole. An outstanding team is actually greater than the sum of its parts. The team provides the environment for the individual to flourish and grow. That growing individual then has an obligation to add to that extra dimension of espirit de corps. One does not function successfully without the other. So athletics becomes the perfect practice ground for a broader social knowledge.

Every study done on the subject of survival in time of stress, particularly war indicates that, by and large, those individuals who have had exposure to athletics stand a much greater chance of making it. The survival rate among those having been involved in athletics during WWII and the Korean War was almost double. If you examine those who have had the drive to really make it in business, most have had a good background in athletics at some level.

So if this is the case - if athletics can contribute so much to the development of a person - why have the Jews been one of the last groups to utilize this vehicle? The health spas are full of people trying to create or recapture that good image of themselves because ultimately they will perform better in all other aspects of their lives. Studies now indicate that working out is a major means of coping with depression and stress. Athletes in Action is a Christian organization that takes successful athletes and provides positive role models for their children to relate to. Why should they be allowed to corner the market? Don't we owe it to those who will follow to provide as many tools as possible for success? Certainly, I'm not suggesting that athletics is a panacea for everything, but it is another valuable tool.

I conclude by telling you that not long ago I talked with someone in our midst now about this very situation. The response was that "The Big Machers" in the Federation would not support such an idea. And lest I be accused of being sexist, let me say that I strongly advocate the same stance for our women. As it becomes increasingly more difficult to succeed in this society, we owe it to ourselves to take advantage of all possible means with which to become successful. And, last but certainly not least, the time has come for a change if for no other reason than the Jewish youth of today can no longer relate to the short, stout, kid with glasses and a kippah that can deal only with academia and is afraid of his or her own shadow.

Copyright 2009 Yellen & Associates All rights reserved.

Use of Reverse Psychology to Get Back the One You Love!

Relationships always have their ups and downs. If you are having a rough patch and wish to get it back on track, use reverse psychology. It's amazing how well this technique actually works and it's so simple. An example of this is if you usually throw a tantrum in an argument, then do the complete opposite; be calm and say OK then.

Your ex is more than likely sitting at home, over thinking, feeling edgy and waiting for a return call from you. When they know the call is not forthcoming, they get extremely edgy and puzzled. When are they going to call me? Why haven't they called me? Are the thoughts in their mind. These are the thoughts you want them to think; by using this type of reverse psychology will definitely have your ex back.

As days go past your ex is expecting a certain call from you, but don't give in, carry on using reverse psychology and they will give in eventually. Your ex will continue to feel puzzled and every day goes past makes your ex think about the situation a whole lot differently. They will realise that they underestimated you, miss you and begin to know that you don't give in easily.

In the meantime, carry on with your life as you usually do. Go to work, see friends, do new things, only without your ex. You will enjoy this break from them and they will also like the break making them want you more. After a few days, if not, about a week your ex will more than likely give you a call proving that this reverse psychology actually works....try it!

However, don't change your approach - act as if the break up didn't bother you at all and that you got on with your life as per normal. Tell them that you are glad that they are OK and that you're busy and cannot talk for too long. Perhaps tell them that you're going to the bar; this creates more puzzled thoughts.

Need your ex back? Use reverse psychology today, it's proven, it works!

More Opportunities To Apply for Psychology Courses For You Today!

Today the field of psychology has become greatly popular among young people, however the elder category of people are also interested in it as well. But what makes psychology one of the most interesting and attractive academic sciences? As it is known, the science of psychology studies human mind and behavior making it the major focus of its subject. People have always interested in the inner stimuli of these or those actions or ways of behavior. Psychology is the area of knowledge which emphasizes on living up to its expectations concerning the course requirements which have to be followed by the students.

Besides, the field of psychology demands from its aspirants to work on improving their skills of critical thinking, as well as receiving the deepest understanding of its subject. By the way, developing research inclinations is another significant criterion which has to be followed by a willing student. So, if the students are really interested in this area of science they are offered a few psychology courses which will open the doors for them to making their dreams come true as soon as possible. In dependence on the appropriateness criteria which is extremely important for fulfilling the course requirements as well as the field of interest, the students have the right to choose the most suitable and desirable psychology courses in order to make a real success in their future career.

Major Segments of Psychology Courses

In order to choose a successful career path, it is important to make the right choice of the most suitable psychology courses in which you are interested to the fullest. If you decide to choose the field which offers many great professional opportunities, but you have little or even no interest in this very area, stop for a while and think whether you really want to burden your life with the profession you don't have any inclinations for. Undoubtedly, this is will be a wrong decision. So, don't be in a hurry and make your way to the job position of your dream. This is always better than ruining your life with the wrong career choice by choosing a course, which does not meet your inner desires.

In general, there are a few major psychology courses exist, which you are welcome to consider according to your area of personal interest and preferences. They are as follows:

General Psychology: General Psychology is the study of the human mind, as well as such aspects of human mind as perception, cognition, emotion, and behavior. General Psychology belongs to those psychology courses which offer the students mostly general knowledge on the science of psychology as a whole. This course gives the students basic knowledge about the science of psychology, suggests some facts from its history and acquaints students with its application.

Experimental Psychology: In general, Experimental psychology is a branch of psychology which studies scientific methods to investigate the human mind and behavior. It is known that students have to take experimental psychology courses while studying in an undergraduate and graduate school. It is important to realize that Experimental Psychology is a methodology rather than a singular area of psychology. Generally, Experimental Psychology studies the fundamental theories and experimental designs. In addition, this field of psychology teaches its students some primary research methods which may be discussed during the classes. After graduation from these psychology courses the students are demanded to present their own experiments which are used with the intention of testing their efficiency.

Physiological Psychology: No one can deny the fact that psychology is the study of human mind and behavior, nevertheless, any science about human organism is always connected with Physiology. Thus, there is a particular link of Psychology with physiological knowledge. This science is known as Physiological Psychology. If you really want to know the secret of the mental behavior of a human being, it is extremely necessary to learn about neural actions, the functions of the human brain, basics of neuroanatomy as well as many different physiological processes.

Cognitive Psychology: A variety of different aspects which create the fundament for human behavior are hidden inside such a mysterious psychology segment as Cognitive Psychology. In its broad sense, Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology which studies such mental processes as thinking, perceiving, remembering and learning. Being a part of cognitive science, Cognitive Psychology is closely connected with other disciplines, like philosophy, neuroscience, and linguistics. An individual who completes these psychology courses will receive an excellent opportunity to develop his or her problem-solving skills, the ability of decision-making as well as verbal reasoning and some other logical capabilities inside each human being.

Abnormal Psychology: Abnormal psychology is a branch of psychology which has to do with psychopathology and abnormal human behavior. Abnormal Psychology courses emphasize the impact of environmental, biological as well as cultural factors on the behavior of a human being, thus, forming it. The term of Abnormal Psychology involves a great variety of psychological disorders, like depression, obsession-compulsion, sexual deviation and many others. After completing Abnormal Psychology courses graduates have an opportunity to get employment on such job positions as psychological Counselors, clinical psychologists and psychotherapists.

Personality Psychology: Personality is created from a variety of patterns of thoughts, feelings and manners of behavior which make a human being really individual and unique. As a rule, personality is developed from an individual and remains quite the same during the whole lifetime. The field of Personality Psychology embraces a great number of various psychological aspects beginning from the most difficult, but at the same time interesting Freudian theory ending with other simple psychological theories on personality analysis and development.

Nowadays, we live in the age of scientific and technological development. Probably, one of the most important inventions of the previous century was the personal computer and the Internet. Today, millions of people have an opportunity to receive education from their homes or other suitable for studying places with the help of distance learning. With the appearance of the distance learning courses, benefit from academic facilities has become much easier even for those career students who live in the farthest parts of the world. Online studying offers a great many advantages to millions of people. Thus, one may combine studying and working, spending more time with the family and leaving much time to personal interests and needs. The above-mentioned major divisions of psychology are just some of the most important ones. The other ones also include statistics, development psychology, social psychology, and many others which are greatly significant fields in the psychological arena.

Psychology - The Study of the Human Mind

Why are children stubborn? Why do some people become addicted to alcohol or gambling? How do you help an abused child? All of these are difficult and challenging questions that the field of psychology is trying to answer.

So, then what exactly is psychology? There are many misperceptions created by television and movies today, but the basic answer is that psychology is both an applied and academic science that studies the human mind and behavior. Research in psychology seeks to understand and explain thought, emotion, and behavior. Psychology is applied to individuals via mental health treatment, performance enhancement, self-help, ergonomics, and many other areas affecting health and daily life.

Psychology History and Schools of Thought

While people have always been fascinated by human behavior, it wasn't until the late 19th century that psychology began to be considered an actual science. Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology lab in Germany. He believed in a school of thought called structuralism-believing that certain structures in the mind caused behavior. Over the course of psychology's history, different schools of thought have competed for prominence. Here are the major schools of thought in psychology:

oStructuralism. The belief that there is a connection between sensation and emotion and behavior.

oFunctionalism. The idea that the human brain is much like a computer, designed to carry out specific functions.

oPsychoanalysis. Created by Sigmund Freud, this school of thought believes in the rigorous probing of an individual's personal problems, motives, goals and attitudes as a way to heal the mind.

oBehaviorism. Proponents of this theory essentially hold that all human behavior is learned from one's surrounding context and environment.

oHumanism. This much more recent school of thought came as a reaction to behaviorism and Psychoanalysis, and emphasizes the importance of values, intentions, and meaning in the individual. The concept of the "self" is a central focus for most humanistic psychologists.

oCognitivism. This branch of psychology believes that psychology should be concerned with a person's internal representations of the world and with the internal or functional organization of the mind.

As psychology moved away from its philosophical roots, psychologists began to employ more and more scientific methods to study human behavior. Today, researchers employ a variety of scientific methods, including experiments, correlational studies, longitudinal studies, and others to test, explain, and predict behavior.

Areas of Psychology

Students of psychology soon realize that the subject covers a huge range of material. The diverse topics students might study include social behavior, personality, research methods, therapeutic techniques, and much more. Because it's such a broad and diverse field, a number of different subfields and specialty areas have emerged. The following are some of the major areas of research and application within psychology:

oAbnormal Psychology is the study of abnormal behavior. This specialty area is focused on research and treatment of a variety of mental disorders and is linked to psychotherapy and clinical psychology.

oBiological Psychology studies how biological processes influence the mind and behavior. This area is closely linked to neuroscience and utilizes tools such as MRI and PET scans to look at brain injury or brain abnormalities.

oClinical Psychology is focused on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders.

oCognitive Psychology is the study of human thought processes and cognitions. Cognitive psychologists study topics such as attention, memory, perception, decision-making, problem solving, and language acquisition.

oComparative Psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the study of animal behavior.

oDevelopmental Psychology is the branch of psychology that looks at human growth and development over the lifespan.

oForensic Psychology is an applied field focused on using psychological research and principles in the legal and criminal justice system.

oIndustrial-Organizational Psychology is the area of psychology that uses psychological research to enhance work performance, select employee, improve product design, and enhance usability.

oPersonality Psychology looks at the various elements that make up individual personalities.

oSchool Psychology is the branch of psychology that works within the educational system to help children with emotional, social, and academic issues.

oSocial Psychology is a discipline that uses scientific methods to study social influence, social perception, and social interaction. Social psychology studies diverse subjects including group behavior, social perception, leadership, nonverbal behavior, conformity, aggression, and prejudice.

Today, psychologists prefer to use more objective scientific methods to understand, explain, and predict human behavior. Psychological studies are highly structured, beginning with a hypothesis that is then empirically tested. Academic psychologists focus on the study of different sub-topics within psychology including personality psychology, social psychology, and developmental psychology. These psychologists conduct basic research that seeks to expand our theoretical knowledge, while other researchers conduct applied research that seeks to solve everyday problems. Applied psychology focuses on the use of different psychological principles to solve real world problems. Examples of applied areas of psychology include forensic psychology, ergonomics, and industrial-organizational psychology. Many other psychologists work as therapists, helping people overcome mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders.

Psychology is a broad and diverse field with a variety of related professions. If you are considering studying psychology, you are pursuing one of the most important and basic of the human sciences. You can expect to have a long, satisfying, and fascinating career if psychology is your field.

Psychology Today - Abnormal Behavior and Mental Health

Human behavior is abnormal by default, because the truth is that the human being is a very absurd and cruel animal.

The big irony of the continuation of the work that a psychiatrist began, by a literature writer like me, is exactly the fact that balance, psychic, emotional and mental health are not based on rationalism, but on sensitivity. Poetry and philosophy helped me perceive what all cold scientists could not see.

They were not able to discover the truth about human nature because they didn't give any importance to sensitivity, considering anger as a "normal" human reaction.

However, anger is an abnormal behavior, since it leads to violence and terror.

What is logical and what is absurd are very intriguing matters. Many of the reactions considered as "normal" ones by the psychiatric world and by common logic, are in fact totally absurd, which can be noticed in the end, when we see their tragic results.

I have studied human logic and behavior since I was 15 years old, but I could only understand it when I turned 28 years old, and I discovered the anti-conscience at the bottom of the human psyche. This is the wild and violent conscience that everyone inherits from birth in their brain.

I found it as I was interpreting my dreams and learning about the unknown content of the human psyche.

Carl Jung abandoned his research, afraid of the craziness that he knew that existed there.

I had to continue though, and face the primitive monster that exists inside the wild part of the human conscience.

This was how I discovered that the cure for schizophrenia, psychosis, hysteria and all existent mental illnesses is the elimination of the domination of the anti-conscience in the human side, and today you can protect your mental health for sure, before becoming its victim.

I have cured many people translating their dreams for 20 years now. I discovered the wild anti-conscience but I discovered also the solution: the obedience to the wise directions of the unconscious mind in our dreams.

There is too much craziness accumulated in the anti-conscience. Real absurdity, like the feeling of pleasure with terror, as we have seen in many horror movies, believing that this cannot be real...

Craziness and terror are synonyms, the same way that craziness and evilness are synonyms as well.

The primitive animal that exists inside everyone's brain is still active and keeps trying to dominate their human side, in order to destroy it and take its place.

This wild animal provokes abnormal behavior and suicidal tendencies to the human conscience, pretending that it is human.

It misleads the human conscience, making it follow its absurd thoughts, which are camouflaged by a false logic that the human conscience cannot perceive as false.

Thanks to the scientific method of dream interpretation and my courageous research, today you know very well what exists inside you and what you have to do in order to transform this wild and dangerous monster in a positive part of your human side. This way, this part will make you more intelligent, instead of trying to imprison you in the labyrinth of craziness.

Many people dislike the idea of being considered crazy, however the craziness existent inside everyone is not a result of their own faults. This is an inherited content.

The human being is not responsible for the absurdity of the monster he comes from.

This means that you are not really crazy yourself, but you carry in your brain a dangerous brother who is too crazy.

On the other hand, your human conscience is absurd too, because it is under-developed and it follows the absurd desires of your ego...

This means that if you want to be sure that you'll really keep your mental health for life, you have to learn how to translate your dreams according to the scientific method and transform your worst enemy in a positive part of your human side without delay!